Daylight
by TheWorldInWords
Summary: A Dantana drabble based on the song Daylight by Maroon 5.
1. Daylight

"Can I come over? I miss you."

Santana couldn't help but smile at the confession even though she knew the other girl couldn't see it. "Of course, baby. You can always come over, you know that. I miss you too."

"Rach and Kurt have the graveyard shift tonight, right?" Dani asked wanting to make sure she'd be alone with her girlfriend.

The Latina's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as a result of the question. "Wanky. Yeah they do."

Dani laughed at the girl's dirty mind. "No not like that Santana, geeze. I'll just see you when I get there you dork."

"Okay fine," Santana dragged out the last word. "See you soon." She hung up and went back to reading her magazine.

_**Here I am waiting**_

_**I'll have to leave soon**_

_**Why am I holding on?**_

Santana heard a knock on the door and jumped up. She knew who it was otherwise she would've yelled for them to leave her to enjoy her night off work. She reached the door and turned the knob just as she heard another knock coming from the other side. "Damn, impatient much?" She said after opening the door to see her girlfriend waiting there.

"Sorry I just can't help it if I miss my beautiful girlfriend." Dani said putting emphasis on 'beautiful' as she stepped forward wrapping her arms around the taller girl's neck.

"You're such a suck up," Santana teased, "What do you want?"

The blonde leaned up and pecked Santana's lips. "I want to spend time with you. Can we watch a movie?"

"As long as I gets me my Dani cuddles we can." She turned and led the shorter girl to the couch after shutting the door.

"You're so adorable." Dani replied and went to pick out a movie.

The darker Latina shook her head and immediately protested. "I'm Santana Lopez, I don't do adorable."

"Oh really? Then what do you call this necklace around my neck that you have the other half to?" Dani said referring to the half a heart necklace she had been given for Christmas.

Santana's eyes widened at the sass coming from her girlfriend. "U-uh…" she hesitated giving the lighter girl a chance to jump in.

Dani pulled her gaze from the movie now in her hands to look at the girl sitting on the couch. "That's what I thought. You can be adorable."

_**We knew this day would come**_

_**We knew it all along**_

_**How did it come so fast?**_

They decided to watch _Pitch Perfect_, a movie they'd both seen many times before. It was Santana's favorite because of the quiet yet sassy Asian girl who reminded her of Tina back in Lima, and Dani's because of her deep rooted passion for music. The two were curled up on the couch; Santana lying with her back against the couch and the shorter girl lying against her. Her head rested on the top of Dani's as they watched the Riff-off scene. Dani usually sang along, she knew every word and _loved_ proving it to her girlfriend every time they watched together. But tonight not a note was leaving her lips.

"Hey Dani?" Santana lifted her head slightly so the girl could turn around but she didn't move.

"Yeah?"

The darker Latina placed her hand softly on the side of her face and coaxed her to meet her gaze. "Look at me," she said in a gentle tone. Dani finally turned in the girl's arms and looked up at her. She didn't say a word and waited for Santana to talk. There was a brief instant of silence before she continued. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" Dani smiled as big as she could but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, and Santana noticed.

She ignored the answer and pressed on searching her caramel brown eyes. "What's wrong? You know you can talk to me, right?"

Dani sighed knowing that she couldn't keep it from her for much longer. Santana could read her. She knew her front to back, back to front. "I got an offer for a record deal this morning," she trailed off not wanting to finish the thought.

"Baby, that's great! You've always wanted to be an artist!" Santana's voice bounced with excitement. "I mean I'm sure Kurt will be sad you're leaving the band but that's awesome! I knew you could do it!" She was about to continue when she saw the girl not celebrating with her, not even smiling. Instead of seeing a mirror of her own joy in Dani's face she saw tears threatening to spill out. "Babe what's wrong? I thought you wanted this."

"No, no I do want this," Dani said shaking her head. "It's what I've always dreamed of doing," she trailed off again not knowing how to say it.

"But?"

"But…the record deal is in LA…" she said softly and dropped her eyes to the girl's neck. "I'd have to fly out to LA by the end of the week."

_**This is our last night but it's late**_

_**And I'm trying not to sleep**_

_**Cause I know, when I wake, I will have to slip away**_

_**And when the daylight comes I'll have to go**_

_**But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close**_

_**Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own**_

_**But tonight I need to hold you so close**_

Dani sat next to Santana with her legs crossed under her. She had poured all the details out for the past hour and so far she'd been able to keep her emotions at bay. Keeping the tears from falling was exhausting, almost as exhausting as if she were to let herself cry. But she could feel her eyes getting heavier as she sat in silence next to the darker Latina. The girl still hadn't said a word since Dani had finished explaining everything.

The lighter Latina pulled the blanket over her legs and leaned against the headboard. She was thankful they had decided to talk in Santana's bedroom because the loft was getting colder as the sun dipped lower under the horizon.

Santana watched out of the corner of her eye as her girlfriend shifted under the blanket. She had no words to reply to the information she had just been given. It was all so much at once, but she knew she would worry Dani if she didn't say something soon. "Can we just…not think about it until tomorrow? I'm really tired," she trailed off finally raising her head to look at the girl next to her.

"I am too, honestly," Dani replied softly and moved herself down to lay on the bed.

The brunette did the same and turned to face Dani. She saw that the girl was facing the other direction and tapped her on the shoulder. "Lay with me?" She asked swallowing her pride.

Dani rolled over to see Santana looking at her with sad eyes masked with an unsure smile. "Of course, San," she replied with a kind smile and allowed the girl to pull her in close. She rested her head on Santana's chest and listened to her heart beat.

_**Here I am staring at your perfection**_

_**In my arms, so beautiful**_

_**The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out**_

_**Somebody slow it down**_

_**This is way too hard, cause I know**_

_**When the sun comes up, I will leave**_

_**This is my last glance that will soon be memory**_

They had been lying pressed together for what felt like hours but Santana still couldn't sleep. Too much was going through her mind. She wondered what would happen, what she could do, how much it would hurt…but it all faded into the background when she looked down past the mess of blonde hair.

Dani's roots were starting to grow out so Santana could see the dark hair that mixed with the bleach blonde. She moved her gaze further down to the girl's eyes. Although they were shut, she could picture the gorgeous brown eyes swirled with caramel. She looked so peaceful when she slept. Santana then looked down to the lips she had come to love kissing. They were always soft and made her feel loved in the most unique way. She shifted slowly under the girl's weight in order to see her better. She couldn't help but stare at the girl she had fallen so quickly in love with.

She loved everything about Dani. Even the things she didn't like, she loved. Her imperfections made her absolutely perfect to Santana. She could watch her sleep like this every day and never get tired of her beauty. She felt the lighter Latina move and pulled her in closer, bringing her out of her thoughts. Dani snuggled her head right into Santana's neck and fell back into her deep sleep. After a few minutes the dark-haired girl felt herself drifting off to sleep, the warm breath on her neck soothing her worries.

_**And when the daylight comes I'll have to go**_

_**But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close**_

_**Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own**_

_**But tonight I need to hold you so close**_

_**I never want it to stop**_

_**Because I don't wanna start all over**_

_**Start all over**_

_**I was afraid of the dark**_

_**But now it's all that I want**_

_**All that I want, all that I want**_

Dani opened her eyes gradually as she adjusted to the light coming from the half risen sun. She glanced over at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it read 5:17. _5:17 in the morning? What am I doing up? _Dani thought to herself. She lifted her head and saw Santana's lying just above hers on the pillow. She snuggled in closer to the girl's body and pressed a soft kiss to her neck.

She was still tired and wanted to fall back asleep but her mind wouldn't let her. Thoughts were bouncing through her head as she curled in closer to Santana. Had the girl been awake she would've held her tightly and brushed her fingers through her blonde hair until she relaxed. Knowing she didn't want to wake Santana up she decided to get a drink of water instead.

After prying herself from the darker Latina's arms, she walked quietly to the kitchen and grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets. Her mind was still racing but now was more focused on one thing rather than the others. She hadn't been in a very good place when she met Santana. Her family had just kicked her out and she was scared, terrified almost, to tell anyone that she was gay. She didn't want to start any relationship after what happened in the basement that day. She was scared that it would turn out the same way; the girl running in fear and her being left with the broken heart. In coming to New York she knew she couldn't handle trusting anyone like she had trusted in the past. She put on a confident front so that no one bothered her and hid behind her walls. She lifted the water-filled glass to her lips and let her thoughts run on. Santana, she gave Dani space and time to become comfortable with trusting someone. She didn't rush anything in their friendship and when it grew to be more than that, she didn't rush that either. She had been gentle…caring…loving. Dani had gotten so used to trusting her that it felt impossible to let her go. Her routine included Santana in it so frequently that she couldn't imagine living any other way. She didn't want to start all over again. Santana had made it so easy and so fun to start a new life. And now she was going to have to do it on her own, without Santana.

Dani shook her head and downed the rest of the water. She needed to go back to sleep before her thoughts went too far. She wanted to savor this time with the girl who taught her how to love again. She needed to feel safe for just a little bit longer.

_**And when the daylight comes I'll have to go**_

_**But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close**_

_**Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own**_

_**But tonight I need to hold you so close**_

"I could come with you, Dani." Santana's words had a slight edge to them.

The blonde turned away and leaned against the counter. "No you can't, Santana. You've built a life here. Who am I to force you to start all over across the country?" Her voice rose as the frustration inside her boiled. She didn't want to leave Santana. In fact, it was the last thing she wanted to do; but she wanted the girl to be happy and she knew that being here, in New York with her friends, did that for her.

The dark-haired girl placed her hand on Dani's shoulder trying to get her to look her in the eye. "You're my girlfriend. You're the person I go to when someone pisses me off." As the soft-spoken words fell from her lips, the blonde slowly turned around. "You're my blanket on cold nights. You're my bodyguard when things get out of hand. You're my comfort when I'm upset. You're my…my everything." The last word barely slipped out just under her breath but loud enough for the other girl to hear it.

"Do you think this is easy for me? You're my everything, too." Dani shut her eyes trying to keep the tears from falling and hugged her torso with crossed arms. "I have to choose between the woman I love and the dream I've spent my whole life trying to reach. Do you know how hard that is? I spent all fucking day yesterday going back and forth between taking the deal or not." Her words shot out as she forced the tears into frustration once again.

"I'm not giving you a choice, Danielle." Santana could feel her temper rising and watched the girl cringe at the mention of her full name. "You're going to LA. You're not allowed to let me be what holds you back from your dream. I'm not letting that happen." She crossed her arms over her stomach and leaned against the counter, her gaze narrowing as it met Dani's.

"You don't get to make that decision for me. I can't just leave you." Her façade melted as she choked out the last sentence. "I can't leave you." She repeated, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Santana's anger immediately disappeared at the sight of her girlfriend crying. She closed the space between them and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, D," she said rubbing small circles on the girl's back as she cried into her shoulder. "It'll be okay." They stood there without a word from either girl until Dani finally mustered up the strength to pull away.

"How's it going to be okay?" Dani mumbled, her voice cracking as more tears fell. She watched the girl before her open then close her mouth several times trying to find the words to answer. "Exactly…" she trailed off and started to walk towards the bedroom.

Santana watched Dani walk back into the room they had shared for the past few months. _How was it going to be okay? _She stood there while her mind raced trying to find an answer. Minutes passed and she didn't move. She was determined to find a way to be with the woman she had fallen so hard for while she lived out her dream. And that's when it dawned on her. Maybe loving someone isn't about being with them constantly. Maybe it isn't about being by their side and spending energy on them. Maybe loving someone is about wanting their happiness more than wanting yours. Maybe it's about seeing their smile and just the sight of it heals you. It wasn't going to happen. They weren't going to be okay. She needed Dani to be happy if she had any hope of being happy. And the only way that was going to happen was if she was living her dream.

_**And when the daylight comes I'll have to go**_

_**But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close**_

_**Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own**_

_**But tonight I need to hold you so close**_

Santana slowly pushed open the bedroom door. She felt her heart shatter when she saw Dani sitting on the edge of the bed sobbing into her hands. She took soft steps forward and kneeled in front of the blonde. She didn't react so Santana cupped her face with her hands and brought her head up to lock their gaze. "Listen to me, okay?" She paused until Dani nodded slightly. "I love you. I want nothing more than to be with you because you make me so happy." Her words didn't falter once as she spoke, her eyes never leaving the one's before her. "But I want you to be happy, too. And before you say you are happy, keep listening. I want you to be happy doing the thing you've always loved. Music inspires you and I can tell it's helped make you the amazing person you are today. I can't imagine you being happy knowing you had the opportunity to do this and turned it down." By this time Dani's hands covered the darker pair that was still on her cheeks as tears rolled down silently. "So I'm making you go. You're going to call them back and tell them you can be in LA by the end of the week."

Dani shook her head with the tiniest movement and shut her eyes willing the tears to stop before she completely broke down again. "I-I can't, San," she whimpered. She continued with her eyes still shut, "You do make me happy, happier than I've been in a long time. But you're right…I can't let this chance go." She slowly opened her eyes and was met with Santana's gaze. "I love you too but I have to go."

The Latina nodded with a bittersweet feeling in her heart. She was glad the girl had finally agreed to go live out her dream, but sad that meant she would have to leave. She moved her thumbs to brush away Dani's tears then ran her hands down to grab the other girl's. She stood up and pulled the shorter girl to her feet as well. "I'll wait for you, Dani. Just because we'll live 2,000 miles apart doesn't mean I'll love you any less. I can always fly and visit! And when you go on tour or whatever I can take off work to help you and see what it's all like!" She said, the light returning to her eyes.

"No, Santana. If you aren't giving me a choice, I'm not giving you one either. I'm not going to hold you back just like you say you don't want to do that to me. Go live your life, S." She squeezed the darker girl's hands before dropping them and turning towards the bedroom door. "If we're really meant to be then we'll find a way back." She hesitated not wanting the words to leave her mouth, "We're over." She slammed her eyes shut stopping the tears temporarily. The blonde urged herself to keep moving in the direction of the door but could only manage a small step before she felt herself being tugged backward.

She spun in the process and felt Santana's lips crash against hers. They moved in perfect timing together like they always had. She felt the taller girl's hands snake around her waist effectively pulling her closer. She allowed one hand to move to Santana's cheek while the other curled around her neck to deepen the kiss. Finally, Santana pulled away, knowing that she had to let the girl go now before she had enough time to regret her decision.

"Now…" she whispered just loud enough for Dani to hear her, "now we're over." She watched as the shorter girl's face washed over with understanding.

Dani then turned back toward the door and walked through it for the last time for a while. She fought not to glance back at Santana but her heart won and she flashed a sad smile over her shoulder that the girl threw right back. After she heard the door to the apartment shut behind her she put her hand over the necklace she still wore and held it against her heart.

Santana didn't want to see her leave. She wanted to pull her back into her arms where she knew the girl was safe. But she had to let her go. She raised her hand from her lap and held it against the necklace she wore. _"You'll always have the other half to my heart," _she thought, "_just like I have the other half to yours."_ All she had left to do, as the tears started to fall once more, was hope she would see the person she loves again one day.

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**Thank you guys so much for the comments on this omg I didn't expect them. I know this was really sad and I cried writing it but I've written happier Dantana that I'll post and if you guys have any ideas/prompts message me here or on tumblr (stay-strong-smile-forever) I can't tell you how much all the comments and likes mean to me, thank youuuuuu:)**


	2. Daylight Sequel

**Soooooo..as a few of you commented saying you wanted me to, I wrote a sequel to this. I can't thank you all enough for the feedback it means the world to me and gave me the entire idea for this sequel. I've been really busy lately between basketball, exam week and all that fun stuff so I'm sorry this took so long. I may or may not be also writing a full length Dantana fanfic *wink* *wink* ((so that's been taking some time too even though I'm barely past the second chapter)). This is ****_PART ONE_******** of two for the sequel and I hope you like it!:) Thanks again for all the comments and reviews!**

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Santana walked down the sidewalk towards the coffee shop. Ever since Dani had moved and Rachel's Broadway career took off, she didn't enjoy working at the Spotlight Diner as much as she used to. Her apartment was only five blocks from the shop and the weather was nice today. It was never too busy since she had to be at work at 6:30 for the morning rush, but today was different. Just across the street, about a quarter of a block from where she stood was a group of what looked like teenagers. They all huddled around the entrance to a hotel. She kept walking down her side of the street so that she could get a better look. That's when she saw the cause of the screaming kids. It was Dani.

She slowed her pace and watched the girl being led from the hotel door to the car that was on the street waiting for her. Just before she saw the blonde get in her car, the girl lifted her head. Their eyes met for a split second then the girl climbed in the car and off it sped. _Had Dani recognized her?_ The thought ran through her head. She considered the possibility then shook her head to herself as if clearing it from her mind. Dani couldn't have recognized her. It's been four years since they've seen each other; since Dani left that night to chase her dreams. Santana pushed the idea of her ex-girlfriend to the back of her head and continued down the two blocks she had left.

Once she made it through the door and inhaled the stale scent of coffee grounds and whipped cream, her mind switched into work mode. She quickly walked back to her office and put her jacket and purse down. Since the time she had been here, she was promoted from cashier all the way to store manager. She had a small office where she had to fill out production reports and occasionally employee evaluations. It wasn't the best job but it paid her bills and she hadn't killed anyone, yet. She looked at the stack of papers calling her name but turned and walked towards the bar. Maybe she would yell at some of the workers for slacking off.

"Sarah! Stop talking to your boyfriend and get to work. He can wait till the end of your shift." Santana shouted at the strawberry blonde. The girl shot her boyfriend a look then hurried back to behind the register.

"Sorry Santana," she mumbled under her breath.

The Latina smiled to herself proudly and returned to her office to look over some of the paperwork since the deadline for most of it was the end of the week.

After an hour of aimlessly trying to focus on fine print and numbers she got up to check on the shop. As she walked out into the open room she saw Sarah was back sitting with her boyfriend and rolled her eyes at them. The café was relatively empty so she couldn't find it in her to scare the girl twice and stepped behind the counter to talk to the other employee on this shift. His name was Dylan and today was his first day. His application said that he has experience but Santana wanted to check him out anyway. She always liked to instill a little fear on the first day to keep everyone in line.

"Hi Derek," she directed at the guy coldly.

He looked up from the crossword he was doing in the newspaper. "Um," he hesitated, "it's Dylan, ma'am."

Santana laughed to herself softly. "I know your name. I was making sure you were paying attention." She saw his shoulders relax slightly as she continued. "And don't call me ma'am please, it makes me feel old."

"Oh…sorry, of course. It won't happen again uh—"

"Santana, my name's Santana." She interrupted him in an attempt to help but the words slipped out a little harsher than she meant.

Dylan looked down at the newspaper then back up at the Latina with fake confidence. "It's nice to meet you Santana." He stretched his hand out and was relieved when she accepted it and they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you too, Dylan. But when it starts to pick up in here I better not see you trying to figure out that dumbass word maze, you understand?" The brunette watched as fear washed over his face as she caught him off guard.

"Santana stop terrorizing the poor kid."

Santana heard the familiar raspy voice and spun around. As she caught sight of the light hair she breathed the shocked words out, "Dani?"

The blonde smiled at her then moved her gaze to the still scared guy next to her. "Don't let her scare you. She doesn't really mean it." He shot her a thankful look and practically ran back into the break room. She turned her attention back to the Latina who was still in shock. "Hey, are you gonna give me what I came here for or just stand there." She snapped her fingers and waved her hand in front of the girl while laughing.

"Why are you here actually? This is like the least known coffee shop in this area." Santana was still shocked to see her but tried to come off as calm and confident as possible. After all this time she could feel the faint butterflies in the pit of her stomach just from hearing the girl's voice. She quickly looked the girl up and down. She missed seeing her bottle blonde hair and bright smile. She caught a glimpse of a silver chain around the girl's neck but it was tucked into her shirt.

Dani found herself smiling at the Latina in front of her and swallowed the knot beginning to form in her throat. "Well that would be the point wouldn't it?" She paused before deciding to continue her thought, "I know you saw what happened this morning so I'm kind of trying to lay low."

Santana smiled and leaned on the counter behind her. "You recognized me?"

"I'd never forget that bod—hair of yours," she caught herself and blushed.

Santana heard her stutter and bit her lip to hold her laugh in. She didn't want to embarrass her the first time they talked in four years. "So what is it that you're really here for because I know you didn't come to talk to me." She switched the topic as subtly as possible.

_If I knew you'd be here I would've come for you, _the thought ran through her head before she had a chance to stop it. She pushed it to the back of her mind and answered Santana's question. "A salted caramel macchiato would be great honestly but I've already had like two this morning…so um hot chocolate?" She moved from in front of the register to a barstool around the corner.

Santana turned and started making the drink. "French Vanilla Hot Chocolate with extra whipped cream and marshmallows on top like you used to order it or just hot chocolate?" She asked without lifting her head to see the girl's reaction.

The blonde's face lit up hearing the girl remembered her order from so long ago. Santana never cared to remember much detail about anyone but she made sure to remember everything about her. "Like I used to," she said her words falling with a softer tone than before.

The darker Latina looked up from the machine and threw a smile at Dani only to see one matching her own. It felt like they hadn't skipped a beat.

Santana finished making the drink and walked around the counter to sit next to the lighter Latina. "What brings you to New York anyway miss superstar?"

Dani giggled at how Santana was teasing her then shot her a soft glare. "I'm not a superstar."

The taller girl interrupted her, "Those screaming girls earlier would have to disagree with you."

"Shut up." She playfully punched the brunette in the arm. "And if you must know, I had interviews this morning here and I'm performing a mini concert before I fly back." The girl took a sip of her hot chocolate then looked up at Santana.

She tilted her head in astonishment, "A concert? Where are you having it?"

"In Central Park actually. They're fencing it off and only letting like 300 people in." Dani noticed the scoff that came from the other girl and laughed softly. She continued before she had the chance to stop herself. "Do you want to come? It should be really fun. I-I can even get you backstage if you want," she trailed off unsure of how Santana would take the offer.

Santana was quiet as she thought about her options. She could go to the concert and see how hard Dani's worked and risk falling quickly back in love with the light in her eyes and the smile in her voice, or, she could turn the offer down and be stuck forever wondering what could've been. She caught herself deep in thought and shot out an answer before Dani started to worry. "I'm stuck here making sure these losers don't mess anything up for a few more hours, then Kurt wanted me to hang out with him and Berry but I'll try to make it. Either way I'm sure you'll do great."

The blonde smiled and stood up, "Well I have to go do prep and sound check now but the concert starts at 7." She took a step towards the door then spun back. "It was nice seeing you Santana," she said with a smile.

"You too, Dani."

Dani walked out to the car that was waiting for her on the street. Although she wished she could drive around New York City alone like she used to, she knew she didn't want to handle screaming fans and paparazzi on her own. She quickly slid into the car and told her bodyguard she was ready to set up sound check. Once the car engine started, she felt it all hit her. She had just talked to Santana for the first time since that night four years ago. She didn't expect to see the Latina on this trip to New York but what was pulling at her the most was that she definitely didn't expect to feel this way after seeing her. Four years. It had been four years and the brunette still made her heart jump just at the sight of her. Dani knew she had never really moved on and her songs proved that but not once did she think the girl would still have such control over her emotions. She turned her head to look out the window hoping the thoughts would stop bouncing through her mind. They were almost at Central Park, she recognized, and already a small crowd had formed.

"Miss Harper?" The boydguard's deep, smooth voice brought her out of her head.

She moved to look at him through the mirror. "Yes, John?"

"I can't park the car near where the trailer is because of the people so just stay in the car until I open the door for you, okay?" His voice stayed calm and steady assuring her it would be fine and nothing dramatic would happen.

Although she loved her fans more than anything, she wasn't accustomed to the shoving and shouting yet. She watched as the car pulled to the side of the road and the fans migrated to the sidewalk directly next to her door. The loud voices were muffled but could still be heard through the barrier between them. John walked around the back of the car and slid his way through to pull the handle. The second the barrier was broken, screams flooded Dani's hearing. She put on a smile and reached out for John's outstretched hand. He pulled her to her feet and put his arm around her holding her close. She paused briefly to sign a few papers then rushed towards the stage.

Once they were past security and free from the crowd the two separated. "Are you okay, Miss Harper?"

Dani nodded and laughed softly to herself. "Yes, I'm fine. Now when are you gonna stop calling me that and call me Dani like I've told you to so many times?"

He chuckled to himself before replying, "Sorry, it's just a habit. Anyways, I'll see you after sound check. You know where to find me if you need me, Dani." He emphasized her name then walked off in the direction of the stage. He had to go let some of her fans in for sound check and also stand by the stage while she performed just in case someone did something crazy.

"See ya!" She yelled after him and turned to walk backstage. Here she was met by all the crew members. "Hey guys, you ready to put on an awesome show tonight?"

"Sure are, Miss Harper!" The man that was handing her in-ears to her said. He was the most enthusiastic of them all as she heard mumbled responses and faked comments from the others.

"Hey, look who's actually on time for once." She heard come from behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at the face she saw. "Sam!" She turned and wrapped her arms around the girl. "How's my favorite manager today?" The words leaving her lips a little too sweet for the brunette's liking.

"Don't suck up to me , missy. Just get ready for your sound check and then we can get on with this show."

"Right on it boss," Dani said with a smile. She loved messing with her team. Not only did she prank them sometimes but solely the everyday banter between them gave her something to look forward to. The job was exciting, but doing the same shows and set lists for the most part could get a little tiring. The blonde finished her part in setting up the equipment and waited for her cue to go on stage. The band all walked from backstage to go set up and waved to her on the way.

A few short minutes later she walked out onstage and smiled to the fans waiting for her. The band started playing behind her and the crowd recognized the song immediately. Dani ran around the stage singing and touching as many hands as she could. The feeling of performing would never get old. It gave her this unmatchable rush of adrenaline that she loved. The fans knew every word to her songs and being able to see them in person only made it that much more real. She was living her dream. This is what she had wanted from as far back as she could remember. Caught up in the feeling, she realized the song had already ended and another one had passed. They were only going to play five songs so she shook her head and reminded herself to give singing her full attention. Her fans deserved that and so much more for supporting her so quickly. She grabbed her guitar and clipped the microphone into the stand. She started to strum a tune that received a groups of screams in response. Dani opened her mouth and let the words fall, "_Our love runs deep like a chevy…"_

The song ended and the one after that flew by. Before she knew it, it was time for Dani to go shower and get dressed and ready for the concert. She thanked everyone for coming and told them she hoped to see them later. She ran off stage and bumped into Sam.

"Oh shit, sorry Sam!" Her face washed over with concern and a hint of fear.

"Its fine Dani don't worry about it. Go grab a shower and get into hair and make-up."

The concerned frown was replaced with a smile. "Alright Samantha, I'm going no need to tell me twice," she teased and bobbed away. She had about two hours before the show started but knowing her hair and make-up people, that was just enough time. Dani remembered Sam teasing her earlier about always being late so this time she wanted to prove her wrong. On top of that, there was the chance of Santana coming. And although she had nothing to prove to the Latina, she wanted to make a good impression after such a long time.


	3. Daylight Sequel Part Two

**Okay so I'm sorry for how long this has taken but here's the second part to the sequelll:) I hit a writer's block for a couple weeks but hopefully it turned out well enough. Tell me if you want a sequel to this and I'll think about it;)**

* * *

As Dani ran through her vocal warm-ups she couldn't keep the butterflies in her stomach away. She was usually nervous for shows because she always wanted to put on a good performance for her fans, but today was different. Her voice faltering on a note brought her out of her thoughts. "Ugh," she groaned out loud frustrated with how she was letting her mind get the best of her.

"What's wrong over here blondie?" Samantha had crept up behind her.

Dani glanced up to meet the woman's eyes then dropped her head again. "I-I," she hesitated contemplating telling her manager, "I saw Santana this morning. She works at the coffee shop John and I went to earlier on the way here." She took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves.

"I thought we were past this, Dani. I thought you had moved on. Does she know about your concert tonight?" Sam nodded towards the girl willing her to lift her head.

"I don't think I ever moved on," the shorter girl mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

Dani's gaze rose to look her manager in the eyes. "I said, yes she does. I invited her." She corrected herself not wanting the woman to know what she actually said.

"Why's seeing her causing you to not hit your notes in warm-ups? She's not even here yet girl. What're you gonna do if she does show up and you're on stage?" The brunette stepped closer resting her hand on the girl's shoulder trying to comfort her.

Again Dani's eyes locked on the ground in front of her. "I don't know Sam. I'm so nervous to see her not because I want to impress her necessarily," she paused, "she's already heard me sing. I just can't shake what I'm feeling from talking to her. I don't know what—"

"You're gonna do when you perform the songs about her?" The manager interrupted. She knew Dani well enough and after having countless conversations about her relationship with Santana, she caught onto the fact that the certain Latina was the muse for most of her songs. Although Dani had short flings here and there, it had always come back to her. This was a silent understanding between the singer and Sam and neither pushed the subject often.

Dani's eyes widened and her head snapped up in shock. "How'd you—um…yeah." The girl decided not to question it. "Like what if I forget the words because she's there? It's been four years, what the hell is wrong with me?"

Samantha simply shook her head and gave the girl a brief but warm hug. "You need to get back to warming up that voice of yours. The concert starts in 30 minutes and you need to go get your hair done still. You're gonna be late…as usual."

"I can sing while they do my hair stop worrying so much." Her smile shone through as she pushed her worries to the back of her mind.

"That's what you pay me to do, sweetheart." The brunette laughed with Dani at the last comment before walking away to leave her alone.

Dani walked in the direction of her room backstage and sung the entire way. When she sat down in the chair the woman started to brush through her blonde hair. She knew not to talk to the singer during warm-ups or this close to before the show in general. The sounds coming from Dani were a mixture of words and vowels and sounds she couldn't make into any recognizable letter. As Dani sat there, she ran through her routine thoughtlessly. She had it down which allowed her mind to wander without missing a beat. She wanted Santana to see how much fun she was having being a singer. Where did all her confidence from earlier go? _I can do this. Just pretend she's not here. She probably won't be anyway she's busy tonight. Stop worrying over nothing, _Dani thought. She wanted to show her she had a good reason for leaving her all those years ago. It was worth it…wasn't it?

"Dani! Show starts in five!" She heard Samantha yell from behind the closed door.

She looked over her shoulder to the woman touching up her hair and received a nod telling her it was okay to get up. She opened the door quickly and walked down the hallway to the opening backstage. Sam was standing there with the rest of her team, people rushing back and forth double and triple checking equipment. Dani watched as they raced past each other and laughed to herself. The crazy work that went into these shows was beyond her and she still wasn't used to it after all these years. All she had to do was go out there and sing while everyone else backstage made sure it ran as smoothly as possible. As time passed, she made her way to the spot directly next to the stage.

"You ready for this?" The man who handed her the in-ears earlier asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled and motioned toward the stage. "Well then go out there and kill it. You're up."

She looked back to the stage in front of her and took a deep breath before jogging out to the front. The screams and shouts erupted at the sight of the blonde. Dani quickly scanned the audience with a bright smile on her face, then turned back to her band and gave them the signal. The electric guitar started to strum and the noise around the stage rose. "_What did I do to deserve this? Tell me the truth and don't lie_," the words slipped off Dani's tongue as she grabbed the microphone in front of her and pulled it off the stand.

Santana walked through the field of grass toward the blaring noise. As she got there she heard Dani's voice lost in the words of her song. _You know that this town is just too small and I'm too tall to take this, again._ She walked through security and stayed behind the crowd of kids to watch from a distance. She knew Rachel and Kurt would be frustrated with her for blowing them off again but she could explain why later. The Latina shook off the thought and focused solely on the girl performing. The energy in her motions and voice was breathtaking. She had heard Dani sing before and knew she had talent but the amount of work she put into her voice over the years was very evident.

Dani had gone through three upbeat songs since the opening number and she was high on adrenaline rush. She loved being so close to her fans and being on that stage just gave her life. The next one was going to be a slower song that most her fans loved. They could all relate to the heartbreak and pain in the lyrics. The song, of course, was one of the ones Samantha had been referring to before the show. She took a deep breath while sitting on the stool they had brought out for it, and allowed the words to drop from her lips. _It's probably what's best for you, I only want the best for you, and if I'm not the best then you're stuck._

The fans Dani could see in the front all knew the lyrics and were singing them with her. She could see a few sad smiles and a couple girls were crying. The tears always caught her off guard; she never thought that her music could evoke such emotion from people. As she reached the chorus the second time around, everyone was singing along. Scanning the crowd, her eyes landed on a fateful Latina's figure.

Her breath caught in her throat seeing Santana at the back of everyone. She held the microphone to the audience and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Gathering back her courage, she sang the last line; _you never really can fix my heart._

Santana clapped with the rest of the crowd but felt her heart crack at the shaky sound of Dani's voice. It sounded faint and insecure as she almost whispered out the final line to the song. With the exception of that song, the rest made the singer sound happy and on top of the world, but the Latina knew there was more behind it. That one song was only just an insight.

The blonde turned to her band and looked towards Zach, her drummer. She mouthed a song name to him that drew a shocked expression from him.

"Do you really wanna do that one?" He attempted to yell over the speculating fans.

She didn't hear him but picked up on the movement of his lips and nodded. Her chest tightened with nervousness but she wanted to sing the song tonight. After not singing live or releasing it, she felt it was finally the right time. Zach turned to the guitarist on his right and mouthed the song name to him. They had run through it a lot when Dani was in the process of writing it and just after she finished just for fun.

_You got this,_ Zach mouthed to the short Latina and raised his hand to give her a thumbs up. With that, she turned around and addressed the audience.

"This is a song you don't know but I hope you like it." Dani didn't drag the intro out because she knew if she did then she'd never have the courage to actually sing it. Her guitarist ran back stage and handed her an acoustic guitar so she could play along before returning to his spot. After the cheering died down, she slung the strap over her head and nodded to Zach and he began the song.

**Couple of lovebirds kissing on the corner**

**Couldn't help but remind me of you**

**Halfway through dialing your number**

**You know it's true, I wanted to.**

She felt the confidence in her voice slowly seeping through as she kept the tempo. She moved her gaze that was locked on the floor around the room, seeing how many people were watching her.

**Took a stroll down Sunset Boulevard**

**Heard an old man singing the blues**

**Halfway through writing you a love song**

**You know it's true, I wanted to.**

The blonde gently slung her guitar around to her back. She held her hands up to signal to her audience when to clap with the beat and continued singing.

**Sunrise on the east side**

**Want to wake up next to you**

**But I'm dreaming on the west side**

**Trying to find my way to you.**

She quickly glanced backstage only to find Samantha beaming back at her. They had talked about this song one too many times. Her manager knew the real meaning behind the contrast of the east coast and west coast, while the members of the audience remained blissfully clueless. Well, all the members but one.

**Tell me you want me**

**Speechless and I'm shaking**

**Tell me you need me**

**You better believe me when I say that you are my weakness**

**You are my weakness and you get me every time**

**Tired of flipping through the channels on the TV**

**Nothing on could shake you out of my mind**

**So I grab my coat and I'm out the door**

**I'm just killing time till you're by my side**

**Too many places get in the way of bringing you back into view**

Dani turned slightly and nodded for her guitarist to come over. She bounced to meet him and started singing and dancing in front of him, causing the man to laugh, then skipped to the other side of the stage..

**Sunrise on the east side**

**Want to wake up next to you**

**But I'm dreaming on the west side**

**Trying to find my way to you.**

Before beginning the chorus again, she looked over to where she saw Santana previously in the crowd of people. She searched for a couple seconds then found the brunette and locked their eyes.

**Tell me you want me**

**Speechless and I'm shaking**

**Tell me you need me**

**You better believe me when I say that you are my weakness**

**You are my weakness and you get me every time**

She never took her eyes off the Latina and smiled knowing the verse that was about to come up. She moved to the closest part of the stage to the other girl and continued.

**Caught in the middle of the storm, you are my shelter**

**When all that I see is black and white, you are the color**

**Nothing can stop me, no distance too great to cover**

**All I want to hear you say**

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She looked down at her fingers to switch chords and slowly dragged her eyes back up to meet the brown pair in front of her.

**Tell me you want me**

**Speechless and I'm shaking**

**Tell me you need me**

**You better believe me when I say that you are my weakness**

Dani slowly walked back to the center of the stage, breaking their gaze, and the tension she could feel between them.

**You are my weakness**

**You are my weakness**

**Yes, you are my weakness and you get me every time.**

Dani ran backstage before her last song and whispered something in Samantha's ear. Then she jogged back on stage and nodded to Zach signaling for him to start the Neon Lights. She always loved to end her shows with upbeat songs because she felt like she was leaving her fans pumped up and happy. They all got really into it too so Dani walked closer to the edge and followed it high-fiving fans as she went. The blonde held out the microphone for the last chorus and pulled out her in-ears. She loved to hear her fans sing the words with her. It made her feel more connected with them on a much more personal level. With a smile beaming across her face, she brought the microphone back to her lips to sing the last few words, _be still my heart cause it's freakin out_.

For the first time all night she heard the screams full force and waited for them to die down before talking. "Thank you all for coming tonight! I'm so glad I got to do this show while I was here in New York. I love you guys!" She waved to them then turned to go backstage. Samantha complimented her on a good show and mumbled something about not messing up any of the words which made Dani giggle.

The familiar sound caught Santana's ear and she spun on her heels to face the direction of it. "Dani, what on Earth are you laughing about? And why am I back here exactly?"

The shorter girl smiled and walked closer so they wouldn't have to shout. "You're here because I wanted to know what you thought about my show. And it was just something my manager said."

Santana's smile faltered slightly but only for a second. "Oh, she's that funny, huh?" She teased.

"We just like messing with each other that's all. I tease my whole team. She's just the person who gets it most because of how much she's helped me over the years with stuff."

"Stuff?"

Dani bit her lower lip and lowered her eyes to the ground remembering the time right after she met Samantha and how much the woman helped her through her break up. "You never told me what you thought about the show," she said with a faked confidence as she decided to brush off the Latina's questioning. Nothing had happened or would ever happen between Dani and her manager and she wanted to assure Santana of that for some reason. But she had no need to. They weren't in a relationship; she didn't need to explain it.

Santana allowed the subject to be dropped seeing the pain flash through the girl's caramel eyes. "It was incredible, honestly. I've never seen a singer as comfortable on that stage as you. You looked at home just like you always have. This time the crowd was just a lot bigger."

Dani smiled at how loving the girl was being with her. She knew that Santana wasn't like this with most people, but she always had been with her. "Did you recognize any of the songs?"

"I thought I was just making things up in my head!" Santana laughed at herself drawing a giggle out of the girl in front of her. "The first one I knew you wrote before we met but there were a few others I thought sounded familiar."

The nervousness in Dani's stomach grew stronger at the sound of the laugh coming from the girl she fell in love with and that she remembered some of her songs after so long. "Yeah they made me change them a little and it made them a lot better so hey, I'm not complaining."

"I don't know I'd say they were pretty good before." Santana said in a softer voice, her gaze locked on her feet.

"Santana Lopez, is that a compliment I hear?" Dani teased trying to draw a reaction out of her.

"Take it as you wish." The Latina lifted her head and smiled at how quickly they had fallen back into being comfortable with each other.

Dani smiled back then redirected the conversation. "What was your favorite song?"

"I was actually waiting for you to ask me that. I have a bias towards all of them but I think it was the second to last one you sang." Her voice unsure of the answer.

"What'd it sound like? I don't even know my own setlist it's kind of sad."

"Well something like..." Santana mentally took a deep breath and sang the chorus back to Dani. _Tell me you want me, speechless and I'm shaking. Tell me you need me, you better believe me when I say that you are my weakness._

"Oh!" The blonde recognized the song with the first three words but let Santana finish to hear more of her voice. "My Weakness. Yeah...I actually wasn't gonna perform that song tonight but we decided to last minute." She started to talk quicker than before, the nerves getting to her.

The taller girl furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Dani quizzically. "Why wouldn't you perform it? It's really cute and catchy."

"Well because I wrote it for...um..." She looked down and played with her fingers while finding the courage to finish her thought. "you," the word fell softly from her lips. After looking back up she saw the shock in the other girl's eyes and began to speed talk. "I mean it was a while ago that I wrote it but I haven't performed it live until tonight because I- I don't know but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable you know how I write my emotions into lyrics and I'm—"

Santana stepped forward and cupped the girl's face, pressing her lips gently but firmly to Dani's, cutting her off. "I know." She replied after pulling back and resting their foreheads together.

Dani's heart jumped at the feeling of having the other girl's lips on hers. She beamed back at the girl in front of her. The kiss left her in a daze and she barely noticed the rate of her heart escalate.

Santana smiled brightly at the lighter Latina and was lost in the brown of her eyes the second their eyes locked. A breath caught in the back of her throat when she realized she just kissed her ex-girlfriend. Her now famous ex-girlfriend and left her four years ago ex-girlfriend. She pulled away abruptly, shock covering her own face after realizing her own actions. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, someone beat her to it.

"Dani! It's time to go, they have to pack this all up!" Samantha yelled in the girls' direction.

The blonde hesitantly turned and began to walk away. "I'll call you?" She suggested, looking over her shoulder at the girl she left in shock. She knew they needed to talk about the kiss. They couldn't ignore it and Dani knew she definitely couldn't ignore the butterflies that never once left her stomach while she talked to Santana again.

Santana nodded, her heart swelling at the fact that after all these years Dani still had her phone number. John came over and led her out from backstage back to the sidewalk. "Thank you," she said with a smile. "It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too, Santana." He turned and started to walk away and said just loud enough in hopes that the brunette might hear him, "Although I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you."

The next day, Santana woke up in a much similar condition as she had fallen asleep. She couldn't take her mind off how kissing her ex-girlfriend felt. The butterflies still hadn't entirely faded from the pit of her stomach since she heard the blonde's voice in the coffee shop. She had walked home after the concert last night and started to go through it in her head all over again

_Turning and walking to her car Santana heard Dani's bodyguard say something under his breath. She glanced over her shoulder but he was already too far away to check and see what he said. It was probably meaningless anyway, the Latina thought to herself before heading in the direction of her apartment._

_She twisted the key and walked through the doorway before shutting it and eventually making her way to the bedroom. She allowed her legs to hit the bed and fell back onto it, sighing when she hit the comforter. Why did she have to kiss Dani? It only left her more confused than she was after talking to the blonde that morning. They had fallen right back into the slight teasing and hidden smiles. Santana couldn't help but miss her. _

_The thoughts swirled around her head until she slowly started drifting off to sleep. She didn't bother changing or getting ready for bed. All she had the energy to do at that point was sleep so the thoughts would cease for a few hours. _

A loud knock pulled the Latina out of her daydream and she sat up. She groaned standing up from her bed and walked over to the bathroom to check her reflection quickly. Once she was content with her appearance she went and opened the door. However, the last thing she expected was to see the girl standing on the other side.

"Dani?" The taller girl almost whispered out of shock. The blonde only looked down to her feet in response.

Santana stepped aside to let the shorter girl into her apartment. She watched as the blonde walked over to her couch, head hanging a little lower than it should in order for the girl to be happy. Santana followed and took the spot next to her.

"Why're you here, Dani?" The Latina turned to face her and folded her legs under herself.

The lighter Latina bit her lip while keeping her eyes locked on the hands in her lap. "I-I," she hesitated nervously, "I couldn't stop thinking about how you kissed me yesterday. And I just kinda hoped you hadn't moved. I know I said I would call you but," she trailed off.

Realization washed over Santana's face. "I um kind of haven't been able to either," she stated quietly.

The two sat in silence for a moment before the taller girl moved her hand to gently lift Dani's head.

"Look at me," the Latina requested and waited for their eyes to lock onto each other. The second they did, she continued. "I don't know how you feel about me kissing you but I did it for a reason. Even after all these years you managed to get my heart to skip beats and take my breath away. It was like we first met when you walked into the coffee shop yesterday. I kissed you because I wanted to see if we still had that spark." She saw the nervous and worried expression in the blondes face soften. "I missed you. I've spent four years trying to get over you and everything we were. It worked for about 6 months and then I realized I was only lying to myself and hiding behind random hookups and a whole lot of wine."

Dani's heart broke hearing how badly she left Santana. The girl had been a mess because of her and resorted to self-medicating just to escape the pain of their break up. However, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't at least thought about doing the exact same.

"I don't think I ever stopped loving you, Dani. And I know this is all so much to take in and I'm sorry but I need to tell you before you leave me again. You're the only person capable of making me stutter. The only person I've felt comfortable with enough to be emotionally vulnerable. I fell so hard and so fast for you that it kind of blindsided me. I had never felt that before but damn was it the best reason to be terrified. I love you. I've always loved you and I always will love you. So I know you probably don't feel the same way because you've probably moved on with some gorgeous LA girl and that's okay I just—"

Santana was cut off without warning. She felt Dani's lips move beautifully against hers like they had since the day they met. The kiss was brief and she had to bit the inside of her cheek to fight back her whimper at the loss of contact.

"I've missed you so much, San. I don't know why you think I've moved on. I loved you more than I ever thought was possible. I fell hard for you, just as quickly as you did and it took my breath away. I was scared but not too badly because I knew together we could take on the world. It killed me leaving you. My manager had to help me get to a point where I wouldn't tear up at the mention of love. Yeah, I've tried dating people since we broke up, but not one made my heart swell like you can. None of them ever made me feel like you did. Well like you do." She paused, taking Santana's hands in hers and squeezing gently. "I never stopped loving you either. I just couldn't bear to come back here and break you all over again. I didn't have the answers on how we could be together and I couldn't help but think you had moved on."

The darker Latina leaned forward capturing the girl's lips in a long sweet kiss. When they finally pulled apart, she spoke quietly. "So now what?"

Dani rested her forehead against the girl's in front of her and took a moment to think. They stayed in a comfortable silence until she started to answer. "I want to be with you San. I don't care how much work and compromise it takes. I can't let you go again."

"I think I like that plan," Santana said, her words seeping through the smile covering her face. She placed a hand on the girl's face and pulled her in for a deeper kiss.

"God I missed this," Dani said her lips brushing against the Latina's with every letter before pecking the girl's lips once more.


End file.
